KURAIBITO STAY's 2 night 3 day winter (sake brewing) program.
The following is a basic timeline of the program.
This is an example of the programs that will be offered during the sake brewing season from November to March.
The sake brewing schedule may vary from year to year.
PROGRAM
※Depending on the brewing schedule and timing, it may not be possible to take part in the moromi-making process.
DAY 1
FRIDAY
17:00
Check in
Check-in time is from 3:00 p.m.
For more information on how to get to KURAIBITO STAY, please refer to the ACCESS page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
FRIDAY
17:00-17:45
Orientation
We will explain the detailed schedule of your stay, accommodation, and precautions for your experience. Then, everyone who will be staying with you as a brewer for the next three days will introduce themselves.
FRIDAY
18:00-
Dinner
The 19th head of Kitsukura Brewery will join us at a special meal for KURABITO STAY participants. Sake from the Saku region is paired with gorgeous Japanese cuisine featuring the skills of the master. Please enjoy the dishes, which are as carefully prepared as the sake.
The dishes in the photo are examples. Dishes may change depending on the season. If you have any food allergies, please let us know at the time of reservation.
SATURDAY
7:00
Breakfast
With your KURABITO friends around a large table on the first floor, you can enjoy the healthful brewer's breakfast made with seasonal local ingredients.
SATURDAY
8:00
Shinto ritual of purification
Time to prepare to become a brewer. After donning a uniform that includes a white coat, tenugui head covering, and other items, you will hear the brewer explain about the work. In the past, only craftsmen were allowed to enter the sake brewery. In front of a Shinto altar dedicated to Matsuo-sama, the god of sake, a ceremony is held to ward off evil spirits. After that, it is time to start the brewer's experience.
SATURDAY
8:15-
Rice Steaming
We will first steam rice that was washed the day before. We will transfer the rice to a big steamer called a “koshiki”. It will take about an hour to steam the rice.
SATURDAY
8:30-9:30
A tour of the brewery
In the hour that it takes for the rice to steam we will have a tour of the brewery. President Ide will explain the process of sake brewing and demonstrate the actual tools used.
SATURDAY
9:45-
Making the starter
Once the rice is steamed, we will scoop it into wooden buckets and carry it to the second floor shubo room. We will make shubo in a process called “mototate.” Shubo is the starter for sake brewing so this is the first step in fermentation.
SATURDAY
10:45-11:15
Break
When the work is done, you can take a break and rest. Enjoy the company of fellow brewers and the brewer.
SATURDAY
11:15-
Tasting seminar by sake brewer
Sake tasting seminar by President Taira Ide. He will talk about everything from the basics of sake to how to taste it, giving you an insight into the depth of sake.
SATURDAY
12:00-15:00
Free (Lunch)
On the second day, you will be free for lunch. There are restaurants with delicious local food on the main street of Usuda so please enjoy trying something in the area. We have maps that show shops that are “kurabito friendly” and we also have menus from these restaurants that are available to look at. You will be free for about three hours. If you still have energy after lunch please enjoy exploring around the Usuda area. For those who would like a rest feel free to come back and take a nap in your room.
SATURDAY
15:00-16:30
Washing and soaking rice
The length of time the rice is washed and soaked depends on the type of sake to be made and the temperature. This is a process that allows you to experience the depth of sake brewing.
SATURDAY
16:30-17:00
Yoriwake
We will experience sifting the previously made koji rice in a process called “yoriwake”. This process involves going through the koji rice by hand to check for any impurities or foreign objects.
SATURDAY
17:30-
Free (Dinner)
Tuck into Saku's gourmet delights at a KURABITO FRIENDLY SHOP where you can enjoy Saku’s sake and seasonal delicacies. Please try to retire early so you are ready for work the next morning.
SUNDAY
7:00
Breakfast
The last healthful brewer’s breakfast with friends who have deepened ties. It's sure to taste different from yesterday's breakfast. Let's eat well to prepare for today's work.
SUNDAY
8:00
Rice Steaming
We will transfer the rice to a big steamer called a “koshiki”. It will take about an hour to steam the rice.
SUNDAY
8:30-9:30
Koji seminar
While the rice is steaming, we will return to the lounge and have a seminar on koji. After watching a video you’ll be able to see the actual koji up close.
SUNDAY
9:45-10:30
Making the koji
Koji is made in a sauna-like room called “koji muro.” Here koji is cultivated on steamed rice over two days. You will experience what happens on the first day. The toji will sprinkle koji spores on the rice and you will help mix it so that the spores reach every grain.
SUNDAY
11:00-12:00
Final exam & Closing ceremony
Review of the three days and two nights of learning! A quiz-style final exam will be given to the participants. You will receive a certificate of completion as proof that you have become one of KURABITO STAY's brewers through the three-day experience. After that, a commemorative photo will be taken with your fellow participants, and your 3-day, 2-night program as a brewer will be over.